


No Better Friend

by Bopdawoo



Series: Tales of the Triforce [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Gen, LEARNING CURVES MY DUDES, SUP THIS IS MY FIRST WORK ON HERE, so anyways i love loftwings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 17:50:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13195383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bopdawoo/pseuds/Bopdawoo
Summary: Loftwings cannot pass below the cloud barrier. At least, that was what Link thought.





	No Better Friend

Warm sunlight poured down from above, illuminating the sky and soaking into the soil of floating islands. The wind that churned the Sea of Clouds carried voices; there was a class of younger Skyloftians who had only recently bonded with their Loftwings, and were now learning to fly together in the safety of the lazy currents and upwellings near the main islands. Further out, fractured pieces of land were battered by strong gusts of wind; the largest of these islands were the residences of Skyloft’s more adventurous citizens, and the smallest were merely floating boulders patched with sparse grass.

Far out in the Sea, a lone rider atop the Crimson Loftwing soared in anxious circles, fear coiling in his gut as he looked downwards.

There was a hole in the Sea of Clouds.

And _he_ had been the cause of it.

The very _concept_ of a hole in the Sea was unthinkable. It was a barrier, to protect them from what lay below it. It _couldn't_ have a hole.

But, there the hole was, staring at him like some terrible eye.

He remembered the moment he'd caused it. Inside the secret room of the Statue of the Goddess, urged by a sword spirit named Fi, to take up the Goddess Sword and accept his destiny of stopping a great apocalypse. He had accepted, as an excuse to go off and rescue his childhood friend, who had gotten swept up in a tornado while they'd been out flying the other day.

He only wanted to rescue Zelda. She came first, and when she was safe, they could work together to stop whatever apocalypse was brewing in the near future.

He had accepted, and the sword spirit Fi had produced a stone tablet that would unlock the way to his friend when placed in an altar under the Goddess statue. He had placed it where she instructed him, and then… Then the hole had formed.

The hole, Fi had said, led to Zelda.

Zelda was below the Sea of Clouds.

Link had felt true fear then, when he learned this, because to pass below the cloud barrier was to be lost forever, presumed dead, killed by whatever unknowable things lay below.

There were many theories, of course, about what exactly the Sea of Clouds protected them from. Many Skyloftians believed that it held back some variation of Hell. Others thought an unfathomably huge demon monster lived below it. Many of the conspiracy theorist types thought that below it was just land that went on forever.

Link always scoffed at the idea. Land, going on forever like the sky did? Impossible. Land could _never_ be as big as the sky. That was what made the sky so special.

Personally, he had thought that the Sea of Clouds held back a void of nothingness. Anyone who fell below the Sea and into the void simply ceased to exist, gone forever.

It just seemed like a nicer thing to believe than, say, Hell itself.

But, as Link looked into the depths of the hole, he saw no void, no fires of Hell. No demon monster.

He saw mottled greens and browns.

Maybe it was land, after all.

There was a chime over the sound of the wind, and Link could tell that a light had jumped from the sacred Goddess Sword. In front of him, Fi materialized, floating midair and keeping exactly the same flying speed as the Loftwing he flew with.

“Master,” the spirit began, her voice flat, “the passage to the spirit maiden, Zelda, is directly below. I suggest you descend with haste to look for her.”

“I know, I know,” Link sighed. The longer he hesitated, the more danger he put Zelda in. Why couldn't he just jump already? The Skyloftian reached out and rubbed his Loftwing’s cheek for comfort as he spoke, and the bird reciprocated with a soft croon. “I… I don't think I’m ready.”

“Master, if I may object,” Fi began, “I do believe you have exhausted your expenses on supplies already.” It was true; earlier he spent every last Rupee he had in the Skyloft bazaar. “Unless you have the funds available, it would be wise to descend immediately to search for Zelda.”

The young man exhaled softly. In the short time he'd known her, he had observed that Fi had a tendency to take things very literally. He wouldn't hold it against her (how could he? She was a spirit created by the Goddess to aid him in his journey, she wasn't supposed to understand mortal idioms and metaphors and the like), but sometimes it could be a tad frustrating.

“I know I have enough supplies, I just…” He trailed off, thinking of how to word this in a way she would understand. “I haven't finished mentally preparing myself.”

She blinked, face blank and emotionless as always, and then said, “understood, Master. I suggest that you take whatever steps necessary to prepare, and depart as soon as is convenient.”

He nodded. “Thanks, Fi.”

The spirit disappeared back into the sword without another word, ending their conversation.

Link let out a sigh and leaned forward, carding his fingers through the great bird’s soft feathers and fur. “What am I gonna do, Red?” he asked dejectedly. The Crimson Loftwing, his best friend, Red, chirped encouragingly, wanting to do more than just fly in boring circles.

Red was the name he chose for his bird when he was merely ten years old, when he stood under the Statue of the Goddess and waited for one of the Goddess’ sacred birds to alight before him and become his chosen guardian.

Imagine his surprise and wonder when the Legendary Crimson Loftwing soared down from the heavens and chose him to bond with. The event had been met with wild celebration, as no one had seen a Crimson Loftwing in generations; the subspecies had been thought to be extinct.

He'd been met with hundreds of suggestions of what to name the great bird: powerful names fit for such a legendary bird, long and eloquent names to emphasize importance, titles of great figures of history and fable.

And little ten-year old him had chosen _Red_.

Link chuckled. His creativity had not improved much since then.

He rubbed the great bird's head as he admitted, “I don't want to go down there, Red. Why'd the Goddess pick _me_ to be Her Hero? I mean, I’m only a second-year knight at the academy. I’ve never done anything remotely heroic in my life.”

Red made a warbling noise that he interpreted as agreement.

He laughed, “thanks for the support, buddy. But… I have to go down there. You know that.”

The Loftwing shrieked in disagreement, and he was mentally bombarded with _‘no anger worry stay here!!!!’_

Link winced, rubbing circles through Red’s cheek feathers to soothe him. “Hey, hey, shhhh. I’m not going down there forever” as he mentally sent over _‘peace calm sorry need to do.’_

Red gave a soft croon, and he felt his bird's sadness had not dissipated. _‘Miss you miss you.’_

Apparently, it wasn't normal to be so in-tune with your chosen Loftwing. No one else could feel what their other felt, or share their other's thoughts.

He wondered what it meant for he and Red’s bond.

Link continued carding his fingers through his bird's feathers as he said, “I know you're upset, but this is important. Zelda needs to come back home, and I’m the only one who can help her do that.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a large piece of cloth: the Sailcloth given to him by Zelda. It would help slow his descent without Red’s help.

Red sensed that thought of his, and arched his neck back to press his massive head and beak up against his chosen one. Link reciprocated, hugging his friend’s head and reaching to give scratches under the chin. Red chirped happily, and Link pressed a few kisses into the bird's feathers for good measure.

Red steadied his flight without needing to be told, so Link could swing both legs to one side, leaving them dangling in open air. Strangely, he felt no fear, looking into the gaping hole in the Sea of Clouds below them.

The Skyloftian turned to meet Red’s gaze as he said, “we’ll see each other again before we know it. I promise.”

Red squawked an agreement, and Link knew it was now or never.

He gripped the Sailcloth tight in both hands, and took a deep breath. He slid forward, and fell.

Link had never been scared of falling. Red would always be there to catch him.

Not this time, though. Red couldn't follow him below the cloud barrier, and all he had to slow his descent was a flimsy piece of cloth.

Suddenly, the wind whipping his cheeks and whistling in his ears seemed malevolent.

 _‘You won't make it,’_ the wind hissed. _‘Your Sailcloth will fail and you will die.’_

Link tried to ignore it, reasoning that the Goddess would protect him so he could save Zelda. But he couldn't ignore the panic from Red growing in his mind like a violent storm.

That must mean he was past the cloud barrier. He didn't know, he'd closed his eyes as soon as he started falling.

Should he open them?

He did before he could stop himself.

Blinking away tears from the wind, the Skyloftian felt what breath he had catch in his throat.

He saw _land._

 _Endless_ land, as big as the sky itself, sprawling outwards in every direction for as far as the eye could see.

It had no end, no edge.

_It just kept going._

Link was so taken by the sight that he forgot he was falling.

How was this even _possible_? Could this giant land really go on forever like the sky? How could this much land even exist?

He looked around, at woods and ponds and grassy hills that were bigger that all of Skyloft's islands combined. In the distance, he saw a mountain of fire, and a plain of sand glowing in the sun. What other wonders did this world hold?

Above the wind sounded a raucous screech, and crimson flared past his vision.

_Red?!_

Link instinctively reached out for the Loftwing, fighting his way through the battering winds to reach his One. He caught a leather strap and suddenly he was in the saddle, directing Red out of a downwards kamikaze spiral.

Link had no idea how his bird had gotten past the cloud barrier, but he knew they needed to land, _now_. He could only sense panic and fear from the great bird, whose normally graceful flying was haphazard and uneasy.

Link did his best to guide Red down safely. They barely avoided a crash-landing in front of an ancient temple, but Link was still thrown from the saddle upon touchdown. He scrambled to his feet as his Loftwing did the same, and just barely prevented the bird from bolting. The Loftwing’s head swiveled, eyes wide, panting, feathers puffed defensively. Link immediately got to work calming his bird.

He coaxed Red back into sitting, stroking the bird's long neck and sending feelings of _‘safe safe it's okay no fear calm calm’_ into the storm of _‘panic panic panic.’_

Loftwings were not supposed to be below the cloud barrier. Red was a smart bird; he knew this and it terrified him.

“It's okay, Red. We're okay.” Link carded his fingers through his companion’s soft fur and feathers, using a gentle voice as he continued, “there we go, there we go. You're okay, Red.” The Crimson Loftwing let out a soft chirp, and Link felt the bird press up against him for comfort.

In time, the storm clouds subsided, and Red was calm once more.

Link let go of his bird's neck so he could stand, and Red shook himself before raising a wing to preen. It was only now hitting him that he and his Loftwing were likely the second Skyloft natives to descend below the cloud barrier and survive (because he refused to believe that Zelda could possibly be dead), and he looked at the world around him with renewed, childish wonder. He marveled at the ruins, and the enormous trees, and the tiny birds!

He watched the tiny birds hop around nearby with a huge giddy grin. The only birds up in Skyloft were the huge Loftwings (Red was almost ten feet tall at full height) and the Guays, which were still large enough to easily carry a baby. Who knew birds could be so small? These ones could probably fit in the palm of his hand!

Link laid back on the weathered stones, looking up at the sky and feeling almost overwhelmed by...everything, really.

This world was so _different_ from Skyloft, and he hadn't even been down here for half an hour. What _else_ would he discover in this world?

He laid there, staring _up_ at the clouds instead of _down_ , until he heard a croak and felt a soft pressure on his abdomen as Red prodded him curiously.

Link laughed and ruffled the bird's cheek fur, before standing and stretching. “I guess we should get going, huh?”

The Loftwing squawked eagerly, and bumped Link with his beak. The young man smiled, before turning his gaze to the ancient temple that stood silently before them.

“Let's start here.”

**Author's Note:**

> Link's Loftwing needs a little more love and attention as a character, no? I've always thought that.


End file.
